Steam-heating system.



PATENTED MAY 12, 1903.

W. H. PEARCE. STEAM HEATING SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED HAR.7.1904.

'Umrnn s PATENT OFFICE.

WILLL-Hli H. PEARCE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

STEAM-HEATING SYSTEM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May i2, .1908,"

Application filed March 7, 1904. Serial No. 196,887

Illinois, have int'ented a new and useful ing is a specification.

This invention relates to steam heating systems and particularly to an attachment for regulating the temperature of a steam heating system.

The obj cot of the invention is to provide Steam-Heating System, 01 wh :h the ihllow- 'a steam heating system which is simple, in-

expensive and ellicient, and wherein are employed automatic or thermostatic attachments in connection with the radiators or radiating surfaces, whereby the supply of heating medium may be efliciently regulated.

A further object of the invention is to provide an attachment for use in connection with steam heating systems, which is simple and economical in construction and eilicient in operation, wherein the presence of or excess o'i'water of condensation, air, or othermatter, tending to interfere with the maintenance of uniform temperature in the system or in the radiator is avoided.

A further object of the invention is to pro vide a location and relative arrangement of the parts of a heating system, including an automatic thermostatic attachment, wherein the condensation from the radiators or radiating surfaces may be QlilClGIll lIV drained, and wherein is avoided the trouble and annoyance resulting from unauthorized tampering with the apparatus.

Other objects of the invention will appear more fully hereinafter.

The invention consists substanti ally in the construction, combination, location and relative arrangement of parts, all as will be more fully hereinafter set forth, as shown in the accompanying drawings, and finally pointed out in the aooended clail'ns.

Referrin -to the accom mnvim drawin s w b D J and to the various views and reference signs ap caring thereon ligure 1 is a View in central section of an attachment for steam heating systems embodying the principles of my invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse section on the line 2, 2, Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing a slightly modified arrangement of attachment embodying my invention.

In steam heating systems it is customary to employ traps, and connect the same on one side directly to the radiator and on the other sideto a return or drain pi o; This practice.

has developed certain o jections, among which ma be enumerated the necessit for providing special constructions of couplings or connect1ons to effect the oining of the tra') to the radiator or r'adiatim surfaces l a I thereby; increasing the cost of manufacture and ii'istallation. of the plant. tion is s ecially true where the trap is conneeted directly to the radiator and at its lowermost point, as is desirable in order to permit of the escape of the condensed water from within the radiating coils. In such case it becoi'nes diilicult and inconvenient to effect a coupling-up of the trap to the radie ator on account of the limited space usually available. for such work. Moreover, the location of the trap at the radiator offers an attraction for unauthorized. and unskilled tampering on the part of ignorant servants and others whereby the :llLlJllStIllGIltS of the trap become deranged, and hence causing trouble and annoyance by reason of the heating system failing towork properly;- Again, in the use of traps in connection with, the, radiators employed in steam heating systems, it is desirable to provide means Whereby any accumulated rust particles, dirt, scale, mud or other deposit from the radiator or the steam pipes of the system may be blown off and removed. a It is among the special purposes of my present invention to provide a constructionand arrangement ofsteam heating system and automatic thermostatic attachment in connection therewith wherein the above noted and other obj octions are avoided, and the benefits and advanta es recited are socured in a most simple and cilicient manner, and wherein is provided the passage through which the residue of the heating medium maybe drawn at a uniform rate, thercb reg: ulating the sup )ly of the medium, ant. also wherein is emp oyed an emergency means for ridding the regulator of the presence of any excess of water of, condensation, or of air or other matter, tending to interfere with the uniform passage of the-residue from the systenn In the present exemplification-of the invention there is shown an attachment embodying the principles of my inventiomand This objec- I above the plug valve, and also delivering opening D in the valve C.

from the casing through the opening D in the plug valve, affords an auxiliary path for the passage of steam through the trap casing. This by-pass is controlled by a thermostatic valve F operated in any suitable manner, or by any suitable or desired thermostatic construction. This valve is preferably carried by a stem G having connection with the ends of a U-shaped thermostat H in a well known manner, and which expands and contracts under th e influence of .variations in temperature. In this arrangement, the valve C is located at a point suitable to control the outlet of the passage B, and also of the by-pass E, and is rovided with an opening or port D of suitable size to communicate simultaneously with the two ports. By adjusting the position of the port with relation to the outlets, the latter may be increased or decreased as desired.

The normal osition of the valve F is unseated, there y forming a free passage throughthe valve opening, by-pass E, and At the same time there is a free passage through the port B and communicating opening D in the valve. a

When the casing is chilled, or when there is no heating fluid passing through the'sys tom, the thermostatic valve F will assume its normal or open position. After the valve C has been adjusted to permit the desired, amount of fluid to pass through the radiator, the actionwill be as follows: The heated fluid being admitted, will enter the passage B and pass through the o ening into theby-pass, and out through t e opening D in the valve C, until the thermostat becomes sufiiciently heated to seat the valve F, thereby closing the opening to the bypass.- This valve will remain seated as long as the temperature is sufficiently high to operate the thermostat. The assage of the fluid will then'be directly t rough the passage B and valve,C.

' The outlet of the passage B, which may,

be regulated by means of the valve C, is sufficient at all times, except when entirely closed, to permit any small quantity of water of condensation, and the air carried by the fluid, to pass out through the discharge L. The fluid-Will continue to How in this'course as long as the tem erature is sufficiently high to act upon the t ermostat, and to also prevent a great amount of condensation. there' will be an increased amount of condensation, and the water will rapidly aecumulate. Under these conditions, the outlet of the passage B is not sufiicient to permit the rapid escape of the increased amount of water, and the samewill accumulate in this passage, thereby chilling the casing and also the thermostat, which will cause the latter to unseat the valve F. When the water has accumulated to a point in line with the entrance to the by-pass, it will flow therethrough and out through the valve D, thereby permitting the water to flow. off rapidly. At the same time, the accumulated water in the passage B will also flow out through the valve opening D'.

WVhen the temperature is again raised, the fluid will first pass through the by-pass and act upon the thermostat to again automatically seat the valve F, which will remain seated until automatically unseated in the mannerjust set forth.

Obviously the valve C may be adjusted at any time, either before the fluid is admitted into the system or while passing therethrough, and may regulate the outlets of the passages to control the water of condensa tion and cause the thermostat to act either by a slight or a considerable decrease in the temperature.

Thus with an attachment constructed in accordance with the principles of this invention, the temperature of the radiator or radiating surface may be automatically regulated and controlled.

If desired, and in order to prevent particles of rust, scale, dirt or the like, from becoming lodged in the by-pass E, or in the seat of valve F, whereby said valve is pref the temperature is decreased,

vented from seating properly in the operation of the device, a screen, indicated at J,

may be placed over the entrance to said b -pass from the main passage E. The p ug valve C may be provided with a stem K, as shown, and which is arranged to extend through the casing A, or a suitable stuffing box of packing gland, to a point outside of the casing, to afford means whereby said valve may be rotarily adjusted as maybe desired. Ordinarily when this valve is once set or adjusted-to secure or maintain a certain degree of temperature at the radiator or radiating surface, such adjustment does not require alteration or change unless it is desired to secure and maintain a different temperature of the radiator or radiating surface, in which case the valve C isrotarily adjusted so as to provide areaof opening, as the case may be, of the main passage B through the opening D in the valve. The casing A is provided with the sections thereto.

within the attachment or within the radiator in connection with'which the attachment is used, as for instance, in case the heat should be entirely shut off from the radiator for a considerable space of time and then the steam turned on, the by-pass which under the cooled condition oi. the radiator and attachment is opened affords means for taking care of such excess condensation, permitting the same to pass through the trap to the return pi )e. i The construction s own in Fig. 3 is identical with that shown in Fig. 1, except that the main steam passage B is "formed straight through the casing in the trap shown in Fig. 3.

In use, this improved attachment is interposed in the drain or return pipe connection and preferably near the ceiling of the room below that in which the radiator is located or beneath the floor of such room, the threaded openings L, M of the attachment affording means for attaching the drain or return pipe By thus locating the attachment below the floor oi the room in which the associated radiator is located, said attachment is removed from danger of being tampered with unnecessarily, or by unauthorized or ignorant persons. However, by placing or interposing the attachments in the drain or return pipe sections, instead of connecting them direct to the radiators and then connecting the drain or return pipesections to the attachment, the necessity of providing special fittings to effect the coupling of the attachment to the radiator is avoided, and the advantage of facilitating the work of attachin the attachments is obtained.

Having thus fully described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is r 1. In combination, a casing having an inlet and an outlet, a main passage connecting and communicating with the inlet and outlet, a by-pass leading from a pointin the main passage to-another point acent said outlet, a valve plug having a passage or port, arranged in said outlet, said. port thereof being ada ted to simultaneously par ially ovcrlap botii said main passage and by-pass for regulating the outlet, a valve for controlling said by-pass, and means for actuating the last said valve, arranged out of operative .i'elation to the main passage and in operative relation to said by-pass.

2. In combination, a casing provided with two passages, each of said passages having an inlet and an outlet, said outlets being located adjacent each other, a valve for simultaneously controlling both of the, outlets, and means for automatically controlling the inlet of one of the assages.

3. In combination, a casing provided with two passages, each of said passages having an inlet and an outlet, said outlets eing located adjacent each other, a valve for simultaneously controlling both of the outlets, a valve for controlling the inlet of one of the pars sages, and means for automatically opera ting the last said valve.

4. In combination, a casing provided with two passages, each of said passages having an inlet and an outlet, said outlets being located adjacent each other, a valve for simultaneously controlling both of the outlets, a valve for controlling the inletv of one of the passages, and means located in the said passage for automatically actuating the last said valve.

5. In combination, a casing provided. with an outlet and having two passages provided with inlets. and discharge outlets, said discharge outlets communicating with the outlot of the casing, a valve plug arranged in the outlet of the casing and provided with a pas sage or port, said assage or port being adapted to simultaneous partially overlap the/c4, charge outlets of both of the passages for corn ,trollin the passages, and means ioractuating the va ve plug.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set i my hand this 27th day of lhxbruary 1904, in the presence of the subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAB'I H. PEARCE. Witnesses:

C. ll. SEEM, S. E. DARBY. 

